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COMMENTARY
Jul 26, 2003

Timing on dispatch of SDF turns up Koizumi weak spot

A couple of weeks ago I wrote that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was brimming with confidence after a bill proposing special measures to support the reconstruction of Iraq passed the House of Representatives in the National Diet. A likely political scenario for the fall -- one that anticipated a long-term...
JAPAN
Jul 16, 2003

SDF peacekeeping force eyed by Defense Agency

The Defense Agency is considering creating a standing unit of the Self-Defense Forces dedicated to peacekeeping, antiterrorism and other overseas operations, agency officials said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Jul 16, 2003

DPJ hits besieged Takenaka with Diet censure motion

The Democratic Party of Japan submitted a censure motion Tuesday against Financial Services Minister Heizo Takenaka.
COMMENTARY
Jul 15, 2003

A Japanese force for peace

The Lower House has approved a special bill that would allow Japan to aid in the reconstruction of war-ravaged Iraq. The bill is expected to be enacted late this month after the Upper House passes it. Under the new law, about 1,000 troops of the Self-Defense Forces will go to Iraq, beginning in October,...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jul 13, 2003

Misogynistic politicians get away with the gaffes

The recent series of verbal gaffes committed by Japanese politicians has whet the media's appetite for high-calorie, low-nutrition "gotcha" quotes.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 12, 2003

Behead parents of boy suspect, minister says

Yoshitada Konoike, state minister in charge of deregulation zones and disaster management, said Friday the parents of the 12-year-old youth suspected of slaying a 4-year-old boy in Nagasaki should be dragged through the streets and beheaded.
BUSINESS
Jul 12, 2003

Koizumi told to get tough on reform

The government advisory panel on deregulation on Friday urged Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to push his reforms more aggressively.
BUSINESS
Jul 12, 2003

Economic assessment unchanged

The government on Friday left its assessment of the economy unchanged for July, with sharp rises in stock prices offset by murky outlooks in the direction of overseas economies.
BUSINESS
Jul 9, 2003

Surging Nikkei touches 10,000

Tokyo stocks closed higher Tuesday, and the Nikkei passed the 10,000 threshold for the first time since last August, but profit-taking erased much of the gains and it ended below 9,900.
JAPAN
Jul 5, 2003

October House dissolution likely

Speculation is rising that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will dissolve the House of Representatives as early as October now that the ruling coalition has basically agreed to hold an extraordinary Diet session in mid-September.
COMMENTARY
Jul 5, 2003

Tony Blair: a casualty of war

LONDON -- As the grim business of policing a vanquished Iraq drags on, it seems less and less likely that Prime Minister Tony Blair's authority over party and country will survive. For the first time since Labour's landslide victory in 1997 the Conservatives are nudging ahead of Labour in opinion polls...
Japan Times
JAPAN / IN WITH THE NEW
Jul 3, 2003

For security realists, Ishiba a breath of clear air

Since becoming Defense Agency chief, Shigeru Ishiba has not been shy about rocking the boat.
JAPAN
Jul 2, 2003

U.S. pressure places Iran-Japan oil deal in doubt

The government on Tuesday urged a state-backed consortium of Japanese firms to delay signing a contract on an Iranian oil development project, citing international suspicion that Tehran is developing nuclear weapons.
JAPAN
Jul 2, 2003

New council to address food safety

The Cabinet Office launched a council Tuesday designed to address growing public concerns about food safety, and the agricultural ministry reorganized its structure.
EDITORIALS
Jul 2, 2003

'Big-boned' changes require leadership

The Cabinet last week approved a new set of guidelines for structural reform, dubbed the "big-boned" program. It is the third of its kind since Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi took office in April 2001. In a nutshell, the latest program gives the impression that his reform drive is running out of steam....
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jun 29, 2003

Dishonesty in democracy

JAPAN'S DYSFUNCTIONAL DEMOCRACY: The Liberal Democratic Party and Structural Corruption, by Roger W. Bowen. New York: M.E. Sharpe, 2003, 139 pp. $21.95 (paper). JAPAN'S FAILED REVOLUTION: Koizumi and the Politics of Reform, by Aurelia George Mulgan. Canberra: Asia Pacific Press, 2003, 139 pp. $36 (paper). During...
BUSINESS
Jun 28, 2003

Koizumi tells ministers to follow 2003 economic blueprint

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi instructed his ministers Friday to flesh out concrete reform measures based on an economic blueprint for 2003 endorsed by the Cabinet, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said.
BUSINESS
Jun 18, 2003

Economy revised down for June as exports remain flat

The government has revised downward its assessment of the domestic economy in June for the first time in five months due to shrinking exports following a slowdown in overseas economies.
BUSINESS
Jun 18, 2003

Ministers fail to settle row over funding allocations

Cabinet ministers failed Tuesday to bridge their differences over the best way to revamp the allocation of funds between the central and local governments, agreeing only to discuss the issue again Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jun 14, 2003

Will bill put SDF on fast track to Iraq?

The government-sponsored bill approved Friday by the Cabinet to dispatch elements of the Self-Defense Forces to help rebuild postwar Iraq is the latest legislation defining the SDF's roles overseas.
JAPAN
Jun 14, 2003

Will bill put SDF on fast track to Iraq?

The government-sponsored bill approved Friday by the Cabinet to dispatch elements of the Self-Defense Forces to help rebuild postwar Iraq is the latest legislation defining the SDF's roles overseas.
BUSINESS
Jun 14, 2003

Fund reform details to go in key report

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told his ministers Friday to ensure that the controversial issue of reforming the flow of money between the national and local governments is included in a key economic report scheduled to be finalized this month.
JAPAN
Jun 14, 2003

Will bill put SDF on fast track to Iraq?

The government-sponsored bill approved Friday by the Cabinet to dispatch elements of the Self-Defense Forces to help rebuild postwar Iraq is the latest legislation defining the SDF's roles overseas.
BUSINESS
Jun 12, 2003

Quarterly GDP is revised upward

The economy grew a real 0.1 percent in the January-March quarter from the previous quarter, revised upward from the initially reported 0.006 percent rise, the government said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2003

Bill to send SDF to Iraq wins Armitage's praise

Visiting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage expressed pleasure Tuesday with a bill that would pave the way for the Self-Defense Forces to be sent to Iraq to assist in reconstruction work.
JAPAN
Jun 10, 2003

Bill outline defines role of SDF troops in Iraq

The Self-Defense Forces personnel to be dispatched to Iraq will engage in logistic support for security, humanitarian and reconstruction assistance, and disposal of weapons of mass destruction, according to the government's outline of a new bill unveiled Monday.
JAPAN
Jun 10, 2003

Bill outline defines role of SDF troops in Iraq

The Self-Defense Forces personnel to be dispatched to Iraq will engage in logistic support for security, humanitarian and reconstruction assistance, and disposal of weapons of mass destruction, according to the government's outline of a new bill unveiled Monday.
JAPAN
Jun 10, 2003

Bill outline defines role of SDF troops in Iraq

The Self-Defense Forces personnel to be dispatched to Iraq will engage in logistic support for security, humanitarian and reconstruction assistance, and disposal of weapons of mass destruction, according to the government's outline of a new bill unveiled Monday.

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